WOODINVILLE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Defendant Used On-Line Chat Program to Trade Child Pornography
RICHARD LINDSAY MINIFIE, 44, of Woodinville, Washington, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to Possession of Child Pornography. MINIFIE was arrested June 5, 2009. Under the terms of his plea agreement, MINIFIE will undergo a psycho sexual evaluation with polygraph testing for use in sexual deviancy treatment. MINIFIE will be required to register as a sex offender. Both MINIFIE and the government have agreed to a 20 year term of supervised release following whatever prison sentence Judge Marsha J. Pechman imposes on October 2, 2009. MINIFIE remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington.
According to the criminal complaint, MINIFIE came to the attention of law enforcement in March 2008, following the seizure of a computer from a suspected child pornography distributor in Virginia. On the computer, investigators found logs of on-line chats between the Virginia suspect and a screen name and internet address belonging to MINIFIE. During the “chats” the two exchanged pictures of children engaged in sexually explicit activity and commented on the photos. The logs indicate MINIFIE sent more than 330 images to the person in Virginia. ICE agents executed a search warrant at MINIFIE’s residence after linking the chats to his internet address and residence. One of MINIFIE’s computers was found to contain more than 600 images of child pornography.
Possession of Child Pornography is punishable by up to ten years in prison and lifetime supervised release.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aravind Swaminathan.
For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.
